This is exactly what I was hoping for. I returned from my last trip 3 weeks ago, and my 4104 has been sitting with her tank at 1/4. I have been wanting to fill up so that I can complete my fuel mileage calculations, and be ready for my next outing.

When I first arrived home, I took a look at the local prices and nearly threw up on my shoes. The prices here in PA were about 20 cents/gal higher than what I was able buy fuel for during my trip. With no immediate travel plans, I decided to hold off and see if the prices would come down. Of course, there was the risk that they would continue to climb and I would be kicking myself. Does that make me one of those petroleum speculators everyone is cussin' at?

Now the big question is "How long do I wait?" As Clint would say: "Do ya feel Lucky?"

Ok guy! Slowly but surely? I don't know but I don't trust that! I think that the price will stay a little bit lower but too high for us.

In Quebec, in july, we have payed 1.599$/ a liter for diesel. Now, this morning, 1.459$/ a liter and regular 1.239$/ a liter. The difference between regular and diesel: 0.22$....Why? Because the profit is better with diesel than regular. And then, I think, must people buy regular fuel and, "may be", are happy (have a break) this situation.

The fuel price roller coaster has led to a separate discussion in our household this week..

Many of us that live in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions heat our homes with "home heating oil" fired furnaces. Of course, heating oil is essentially off-road diesel without the highway taxes.

Each year the heating oil delivery services offer customers the option to pre-pay for their anticipated winter useage. The theory being that the oil company will use your front money to buy fuel (or fuel futures) at the lower summer time rates as a hedge against the winter price hikes.

In years gone by, we have participated in these programs, and overall it has worked to our benefit. This year I have strong doubts. Two local delivery services (including the one I use) have a pre-pay cost of about $4.45 /gal. A few other companies have announced that they have decided not to offer these programs this year. I'm leaning toward taking my chances with the market price this winter. My wife always feels more comfortable with the price locked in, and wants to pre-pay. As always, she says it is ultimately my decision to make, but reserves the right to second guess me if I screw up.

It is depressing, but I looked up the past costs of heating oil we purchased:

Many years ago (70's and 80's)I used to have business in Phoenix about 5 times a year. Great place and I have mucho good memories. One thing always stood out to me and that was that on Friday afternoon the gas prices would go up 25 cents per gallon. All over town, at the same instant, all brands and private stations and corp. owned. It was explained to me that it was because the weekends saw heavy demand and on weekends the sales to "out of towners" went up sharply. Locals knew that practice and never filled on a weekend. Talk about oil companies running the show.

Does this still go on in AZ. and does anybody know of other places where the "control" is so blatant? Even then I was sure there was a fed law against price fixing. I have no doubt that those people are still up to their old tricks but are better at it after having the law repealed so the oil companies could use better practices to bring down prices for the consumer. Worked is the "Savings and Loan" industries and has been right on target with the "Banking Concerns". It would be better for the consumer if we had fewer or just one "brand" that could run the entire show so the consumer could reap the benefits of lowering the mfrs costs...YA THINK?

Now this post has nothing to do with politics....just when and where to fill up and how to manage that activity to operate your bus at the lowest cost per mile. That and, of course, many other reasons why I vote the way I do .....OPPS ....darn! Didn't mention a party now....in my own defense.....nor a Make of bus. Drat!

John

Logged

"An uneducated vote is a treasonous act more damaging than any treachery of the battlefield.The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”—Pla

JohnEd that doesn't go on in the Phoenix are any longer to many out of state retailers now like Quick Trip from OK but prices will be different over the area Mesa is the cheapest and Scottsdale being the highest. Ft Stockton Tx is a place I try avoid buying fuel right in the middle of oil fields and the prices are the same at all stations usually about $.20 to $.30 a gallon higher than Van Horn

Ft Stockton Tx is a place I try avoid buying fuel right in the middle of oil fields and the prices are the same at all stations usually about $.20 to $.30 a gallon higher than Van Horn

That's interesting. I lived in Ft. Stockton 20 years ago. Back then Ft. Stockton was where you tried to be to fill up in that stretch of I-10. 320 miles west of San Antonio and 255 miles east of El Paso. And all the smaller pit stops in between were way higher. Just goes to show how times change.

I went through there a little over two years ago. The place had changed a lot in other ways too, for the worse. It used to be a nice place. Right about the time I left they built a large prison there. Then two more in the area. Now it is a town made up mainly of families of inmates and the employees and their families.